Drivers of Employee Engagement in Indian Organizations

Employee engagement has a direct relationship with employee performance and business results. Based on data generated through a series of studies by Shri Ram Centre, the present study attempts to analyse organizational climate and its role in driving Employee Eengagement in a variety of Indian organizations. The perceptions of about 40,000 employees gauged through specially designed questionnaires brought to light Work Life Balance, Job Content, Monetary Benefits and Team Orientation as common drivers of engagement for both executives and non-executives. Scope for Advancement and Top-Management Employee Relations were the additional key drivers of engagement for executives. Three other key drivers of engagement for the non-executives were: Union/Association Management Relations, Recognition and Rewards and Welfare Facilities. 'Employee Engagement' is a relatively new term in HR literature and came into prominence from 2000 onwards. The term finds a place in Workforce Magazine (Wellins et al 2005), Harvard Business Review (Fleming et al 2005), the Washington Post (2005) etc. as also on the websites of many human resources consulting firms such as Development Dimensions International (DDI) (2005) and Towers Perrin (2003). The term Employee Engagement, coined by the Gallup Research Group, has been attractive for the major reason that it has been shown to have a statistical relationship with productivity, profitability, employee retention, safety, and customer satisfaction (Buckingham & Coffman 1999, Coffman & Gonzalez-Molina 2002). Most of the literature employs a multidimensional approach to defining Employee Engagement, where the definition encapsulates several elements required in order to achieve 'true engagement'. For example, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2007) defines Employee Engagement as a combination of commitment to the organisation (i.e. concerned about the growth of the company) and its values plus a willingness to help out colleagues. Schmidt (2004) defines engagement as bringing satisfaction and commitment together. Some other definitions equate the construct with satisfaction, commitment, loyalty, pride, etc. DDI (2005) uses the definition "The extent to which people value, enjoy and believe in what they do". Its measure is similar to employee satisfaction and loyalty. Fleming, Coffman and Harter (2005) (Gallop researchers) use the term committed employees as a synonym for engaged employees. Robinson, Perryman and Hayday (2004) define engagement as "a positive attitude held by the employee towards the organization and its values. An engaged employee is aware of the business context, works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit of the organization. The organization must develop and nurture engagement, which is a two-way relationship between employer and employee". They say that engagement overlaps with commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour, but it is a two-way relationship. According to them it is "one step up" from commitment. Right Management (2006) defines true engagement as every person in the organisation understanding and being committed to the success of the business strategy. This goes beyond simple job satisfaction and incorporates aspects of commitment, pride (employees feel a sense of pride in introducing themselves as members of the organisation) and advocacy about the organisation's products and brand (are proud to describe the nature of work to strangers; encourage friends to join the organisation). Engagement at work was conceptualized by Kahn (1990:694) as "harnessing of organizational members' selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances". Many of the definitions invoke existing constructs such as Emotional Attachment, Job Involvement, Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, Pride, Organizational Citizenship Behaviour, etc and are often used synonymous with engagement. …